Every morning at 5:00 am, the bells ring and the devotees one after the other enter the temple hall of Sri Krishna Mandir, 9 Norris Road, Singapore. It’s time to start the day with a spiritual experience beyond parlance.
The divinity of the Mangala Arati is special as it coincides with the Brahma Muhurtham – a period of time : 2 hrs before sunrise, considered ideal for spiritual practice.
The devotees after offering their respectful obeisances to the Guru (Spritual master – His Divine Grace : Srila Prabhupada) await the opening of the altar screen to get a glance of the delightful form of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai, Sri Sri Radha Madhanamohan and the Lord of the Universe (Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi).
After offering their due respects, its time to recite a beautiful prayer to the spiritual master called the Sri Sri Gurv-astaka.
Significance of Sri Gurv-astaka
“Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, who appeared in the middle of the seventeenth century, is a great spiritual master in the Krishna conscious chain of gurus and disciples. He says, “One who, with great care and attention, loudly recites this beautiful prayer to the spiritual master during the Brahma – Muhurtha obtains direct service to Krishna, the Lord of Vrndavana, at the time of his death.”
The devotees beautifully dance and participate in the course of the mantra thereby creating a spiritual experience. The sweet rhythm with the beating of the drums creates a completely spiritual experience not to be found any where in the concrete jungle of Singapore.
Narasimha Pranama
Lord Narasimha, is the destroyer of all inauspiciousness. The Lord appeared in the wonderful half-lion and half-man form in order to protect his five-year old devotee Prahlada, from the atrocities of his demoniac father Hiranyakashipu.
The devotees, therefore praise and invoke the blessings of Lord Narasimha.
Sri Tulasi Pranama
Significance of worshipping Tulasi Devi
In the Skanda Purana it is said: ‘Tulasi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the Tulasi tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuntha world."
As the embodiment of the lila-sakti (pastime potency), Vrinda devi is the organizer of all the transcendental pastimes between Sri Krishna and Srimati Radharani. In Goloka every thing is animate (cit) and only for the pleasure of Sri Krishna. Vrinda devi makes this happen. She is assisted by many confidential associates (which include two parrots) and with their help she makes sure that every thing is pleasing to Sri Krishna. She controls how the wind blows, when and where it rains, how the trees bend, and so many other things for the pleasure of the Divine Couple.
The summon bonum of the Tulasi Pranama is to invoke her blessings to attain the transcendental service of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna
Hari Nama Japa
hare krsna hare krsna
krsna krsna hare hare
jare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namanam
kali-kalmasa – nasanam
natah paratoropayah
sarva-vedesu drsyate
(Kalisantarana Upanisad)
“The sixteen words – Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – are especially meant for counteracting the contaminations of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of Kali, there is no alternative but the chanting of these sixteen words.”
His Divine Grace – Srila Prabhupada has recommended that one should chant a minimum of 16 rounds a day.
The devotees take this up with all earnest and the temple witnesses people chanting japa (chanting to oneself, just loud enough to hear one’s own chant). One gets to sincerely chant and hear the Lord’s name at this part of the morning clock. As one can see above, this chant is the only solution to the miseries in this age of Kali. Irrespective of caste, creed, qualification, gender, etc., everyone is invited to take part and enjoy the transcendental bliss by invoking the Lord’s name.
The Mangala Arati, thus puts things in the best perspective to start the day with bliss and joy. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and keeps the devotee in the mood of service to the Supreme Lord.
Sri Krishna Mandir welcomes one and all to take part in the blissful Mangala Arati programme.
- Hare Krishna
(Article by Krishna Caitanya Das)
